Thinking of getting married?
An important step
Thank you for thinking about the possibility of your marriage, and particularly having the ceremony at St. Johns Church. This is a special time for you, and we want to assure you of our concern for your future happiness as you make this step of commitment to each other.
This information has been produced to help you complete all the necessary arrangements. Anyone who lives in our parish or (as a regular member of St. John's Church) is on the Electoral Roll may be married here and we welcome the opportunity of sharing this day with you. Otherwise you need to be married in your own parish church.
What to do first
It is a very common situation to find that the location for the reception is much harder to book than the church, so you may wish to provisionally book that and then make contact with us. Then you should contact the Vicar. You will find the telephone number and address details by clicking the 'Contact Us' tab at the top of the main page. You will be able to arrange an appointment with the Vicar to discuss your plans and commence arrangements and the reading of Banns.
Banns
The legal requirements for having a wedding service in church is normally the publication of your 'Banns'. These have to be read over three consecutive Sundays in the Parish Church or Churches if you live in different Parishes. We suggest that you do this several months before you are to be married, but at least FOUR WEEKS before.
Once the Banns have been read you will receive a certificate, this is required for the service and costs £25. If you are on the electoral roll of a parish other than from where you live you still need to arrange for the Banns to be read in that Parish.
The Service
Generally the Church of England, to which St. John's belongs uses a marriage service from 'Common Worship' and more details can be found by following the link below. The Vicar will be able to help you with selecting hymns if you are unsure.
It is suggested that you hold a rehearsal for the wedding and again the Vicar will advise you on this at your meeting with him. He will also be able to confirm any other costs that are applicable, such as Organist Fees, Certificates and the cost of the Church Service itself.
'Bits and Bobs'
It is highly likely that you will want a photographic record of the day and possibly a video recording too. Please note that during the service they must be unobtrusive and that there is a video and music copyright licence to be respected. Why not suggest to your photographer that he takes a 360° tour of the inside of the church and the church grounds as part of his and your preparations?
Flowers are also an important part of any wedding ceremony and you should also discuss these details with the Vicar too.
It is our wish that you have a very happy life together. If there is anything further we can do to help either now or in the future.